Homecoming

Director Morgan J. Freeman takes a plodding approach to stirring up suspense in what can only be called an adolescent knock-off of Rob Reiner's far superior 1990 thriller "Misery." Matt Long plays former high school football prodigy Mike, who makes the mistake of returning to his Pennsylvania hometown for Christmas with his new college girlfriend Elizabeth (played by Jessica Stroup). Mike's ex-girlfriend Selby (Mischa Barton) refuses to accept that Mike is no longer interested in her, and sets out to sabotage Elizabeth by getting her drunk on tequila on the night before she's due to meet Mike's family. A happy car accident for Selby puts Elizabeth in her private care while she (Selby) tries to jumpstart romance with Mike, who is led to believe that Elizabeth dumped him. Every plot point is written out in block letters, and the only suspense comes from feeling every minute drag by like an eternity. The acting and filmmaking are so marginal that you wish a camera person would jump out and announce that it's all just a dumb prank. Instead, it's just a dumb movie.   
Not Yet Rated. 92 mins. (D) (One Star)